How is 'embeddedness' of the stream bed determined?

[SReynolds]

I know that many organisms inhabit the small spaces in the stream bed between substrate particles, and that blocking these spaces with sediment of various kinds reduces the available habitat - but, how is embeddedness judged? Most of the streams that I am now sampling have experienced repeated spates in the past year. A bed of cobbles, for example, now seems pretty firmly 'embedded' and the stones aren't moved easily, and there is no loose gravel between cobbles. Places which two years ago were gravelly-riffs have become covered with fine silt. Is there an objective measure of embeddednes? Thanks